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moved Peter I Island to reflect status as a capital district, and added section to hit on Flandrensis overlap.
Westarctica (talk | contribs) (→Territory: added sections for the colonies of Westarctica) |
(moved Peter I Island to reflect status as a capital district, and added section to hit on Flandrensis overlap.) |
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::''See also: [[Index of geographic features in Westarctica]]'' | ::''See also: [[Index of geographic features in Westarctica]]'' | ||
===The Westarctican Mainland=== | |||
The bulk of Westarctican territory consists of the entirety of [[Marie Byrd Land]], but is more specifically defined as all land south of 60° S and between 90° W and 150° W to include all seas and [[ice shelf|ice shelves]]. This wedge lies between the [[Territorial claims in Antarctica|territorial claims]] of Chile and New Zealand and extends from the [[Antarctic Circle]] to the [[South Pole]], where it joins and abuts all other claimed portions of the continent. Rather than adhere to the Law of the Sea's concept of an Exclusive Economic Zone, which grants ownership of all ocean territory 200 nmi (370 km) from a country's coastline, Westarctica's claimed territory encompasses all of the [[Amundsen Sea]] and the western portion of the [[Bellingshausen Sea]]. | The bulk of Westarctican territory consists of the entirety of [[Marie Byrd Land]], but is more specifically defined as all land south of 60° S and between 90° W and 150° W to include all seas and [[ice shelf|ice shelves]]. This wedge lies between the [[Territorial claims in Antarctica|territorial claims]] of Chile and New Zealand and extends from the [[Antarctic Circle]] to the [[South Pole]], where it joins and abuts all other claimed portions of the continent. Rather than adhere to the Law of the Sea's concept of an Exclusive Economic Zone, which grants ownership of all ocean territory 200 nmi (370 km) from a country's coastline, Westarctica's claimed territory encompasses all of the [[Amundsen Sea]] and the western portion of the [[Bellingshausen Sea]]. | ||
The term "Westarctican mainland" generally refers to all islands off the coast unclaimed by any other nation, including the islands of [[Thurston Island|Thurston]], [[Stevenson Island|Stevenson]], and [[Wright Island|Wright]]. | |||
After the reformation of the Grand Duchy into a protectorate in October 2010, on the advice of the [[Transitional Government]], Grand Duke Travis reduced the Westarctican claim in order to join the [[Antarctic Micronational Union]] and recognize other micronational claims in Western Antarctica. This decision was made official after the signing of the [[West-Antarctic Treaty]]. | After the reformation of the Grand Duchy into a protectorate in October 2010, on the advice of the [[Transitional Government]], Grand Duke Travis reduced the Westarctican claim in order to join the [[Antarctic Micronational Union]] and recognize other micronational claims in Western Antarctica. This decision was made official after the signing of the [[West-Antarctic Treaty]]. | ||
===Peter I Island=== | ===Peter I Island=== | ||
[[File:Peter I Island Map.jpg|thumb|300px|Map of Peter I Island]] | [[File:Peter I Island Map.jpg|thumb|300px|Map of Peter I Island]] | ||
[[Peter I Island]] is 11 by 19 kilometers (6.8 by 11.8 mi) long and 156 square kilometers (60 sq mi), slightly larger than Staten Island, New York. It lies 450 kilometers (280 mi) away from mainland Westarctica. The island was annexed by Norway in 1931 and | [[Peter I Island]] is 11 by 19 kilometers (6.8 by 11.8 mi) long and 156 square kilometers (60 sq mi), slightly larger than Staten Island, New York. It lies 450 kilometers (280 mi) away from mainland Westarctica. The island was annexed by Norway in 1931. Although the island falls within the boundaries of the [[Claimant Letter|claimant letter]], Peter I Island was not specifically mentioned, and its status as a part of Westarctica was up to interpretation. To remedy this, it was specifically annexed from Norway by Westarctica in 2005. Neither annexation has been recognized by the signatory states of the [[Antarctic Treaty]]. It is the physical capital of Westarctica. | ||
The eldest son of the Grand Duke, [[Prince Ashton Roman]] bears the title Viceroy of Peter I Island. Given Peter I Island's status as a capital district, not an actual territory, this title is purely ceremonial. | |||
===Overlapping Claim With Flandrensis=== | |||
in 2008, during a perceived period of inactivity from the Westarctcan government, the [[Grand Duchy of Flandrensis]] was established, laying claim to five islands off the coasts of West Antarctica: [[Siple Island]], [[Cherry Island]], [[Maher Island]], [[Pranke Island]], and [[Carney Island]], and based its claim on an interpretation of the 1959 [[Antarctic Treaty]]. These five Islands are still claimed as part of the Westarctican mainland, but are administered as a special district within the nation, out of respect for the now allied Flandrensis. | |||
==Colonial Possessions== | |||
Westarctica claims jurisdiction and ownership over two small areas that are not contiguous with the territory originally claimed by [[Grand Duke Travis|Travis McHenry]] in 2001, and are not considered part of Westarctica proper. These pieces of land are administered as colonial possessions and are ruled on behalf of the [[Grand Duke of Westarctica|Grand Duke]] by a governor, a viceroy, or both. | |||
===The Balleny Islands=== | ===The Balleny Islands=== | ||